


Beautiful

by latesleeper



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Junmyeon's Birthday Week 2020, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:13:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24228637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/latesleeper/pseuds/latesleeper
Summary: Junmyeon hides something from Chanyeol, and it’s time to tell his mate the truth.
Relationships: Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 10
Kudos: 68
Collections: Challenge #2 — Merfolk





	Beautiful

**Author's Note:**

> Based on this prompt: 'Soulmates have opposite powers from each other (fire and water, invisibility and high noticeability, etc)' (https://r-evolve-art.tumblr.com/post/144380748003/master-list-of-soulmate-aus)

Living in the world where God blessed his people with special abilities and a soulmate to spend the rest of their life with, Chanyeol had heard many things about it. _Your soulmate would be someone with opposite powers as you so it won’t be hard to find them,_ someone said. _Average people meet their soulmate before they hit their 20s so don’t worry if you haven’t met yours,_ others added. _When you meet your soulmate, you don’t need any sign, you just know it’s them,_ they vaguely explained.

Chanyeol calls bullshit on most of them.

First of all, finding someone with opposite powers is not as easy if you’re like Chanyeol, a mainstream fire user. Chanyeol almost lost count of how many water users that came up to him and asked whether he felt ‘something’ between them, and his answer for all them was no. It was also proof that not everyone was lucky enough to meet their soulmate so soon because Chanyeol remained mateless until he’s 28 years old.

He agrees with the last point, though.

The first time he met Junmyeon, they had dinner at the same restaurant. Chanyeol just finished his band gig and was eating together with his band’s members, while Junmyeon was meeting with his colleague. They almost ditched each other’s company the moment their eyes met.

Chanyeol immediately felt a tug—a force that told him it was _him_. It felt like the time stopped and there was no one else but the two of them. It was frightening at the same time it was reassuring.

After that, they talked for a moment, introducing themself and exchanging numbers. Seeing Junmyeon upclose made Chanyeol realize that the man ticked all the boxes of a man of his dreams. Handsome, _check._ Fair skin, _check._ Looking fine as fuck with his grey suit that it put Chanyeol in his baggy hoodie to shame, _check._ A lean body but still packed with some muscles judging from how the suit fits him, _check._ A cute height difference between them, _check._ Judging from the way Junmyeon looked at him, the other might feel the same towards him.

They met some more after that, slowly getting to know each other. Junmyeon is older than him at 30 years old, a college professor at the Faculty of Art of Seoul National University, owns a cute little dog named Byul and has an affinity for dad jokes and girl group’s songs. Chanyeol may be a little in love already but he doesn’t dare to say it, not so soon.

Today, they agreed to meet in Junmyeon’s apartment, the older saying he wanted to show something to him. Chanyeol was actually more curious than nervous, but it quickly changes the moment he steps inside the luxurious apartment.

“When you said you have money, I didn’t expect—” Chanyeol flails his arms around, “This.”

Junmyeon just simply shrugs, the motherfucker.

“So, what do you want to show me?” Chanyeol asks as he follows behind Junmyeon.

“You’ll see.”

There are few questions inside Chanyeol’s head when Junmyeon enters a bathroom and motions for Chanyeol to go inside as well. He notices how big the bathroom is, with the bathtub taking half of the room.

“Would you look away first, please?” Junmyeon asks.

“Um, sure?”

Chanyeol does exactly what Junmyeon asked, even when he heard the sound of clothes rustling behind him, then water splashing the tiles.

“Um, hyung?”

“Not yet.”

“Okay,” Chanyeol answers briefly, although it’s more for himself since he grows restless by second.

It may be a few seconds later, or a minute, Chanyeol loses count, when Junmyeon suddenly says, “Alright, you may look.”

He timidly turns around and sees Junmyeon soaking in the bathtub, the view of his naked upper half kinda distracting him at first, until Chanyeol sees something that wasn’t there in the first place.

A tail.

A _big_ aquamarine tail that replaced his legs.

“Hyung—this—”

Junmyeon has a time to laugh when Chanyeol is gaping like a fish out of water. “Come, sit here,” he taps at the side of the tub, big enough for Chanyeol to sit.

“Hyung, you’re a mermaid—” Chanyeol shakes his head, “No, no, a merman, right?”

“Yes, I am,” Junmyeon smiles, looking amused, “This is my true ability.”

“What—I thought your ability is hydrokinesis?”

He remembers that it’s an ability to move water with the mind, as well as expanding it and moulding it into a variety of shapes, making him a water user.

“I was lying to you—more like half lying, but still.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m only able to use hydrokinesis because it’s one of the abilities that merfolk have, but it’s easier to say it as my true ability rather than admitting myself as a merman.”

“What? Why?”

“Look at me, Chanyeol,” Junmyeon points at himself, his face suddenly turning a tad sadder, “Not everyone can accept me while I’m looking this… hideous. That’s why I lied to you. I was afraid you would think of me differently after you know about this. I’m so sorry.”

Chanyeol almost got mad right there and then, but not at Junmyeon. He’s mad at people who made Junmyeon so insecure about his true ability. They must be blind because Chanyeol can’t seem to find anything hideous about Junmyeon. The way Junmyeon’s tail waves around so gently, the scale of his tail that shifts it's colors depending on the angle of the light, the webbed hands, the gills behind his ears. Junmyeon looks like a creature from a fairy tale, and he’s so—

“Beautiful,” Chanyeol says aloud, “No matter how you look, in my eyes, you always look beautiful.”

The way Junmyeon’s entire body flushes prettily flips something inside Chanyeol, that he doesn’t think much when he leans closer, his hand gently cupping Junmyeon’s face. The moment their lips touch is magical, and Chanyeol won’t have it any other way.


End file.
